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welcome to the American Camp Association start a camp resource video by viewing this informational piece you are taking the first big step in determining how you can approach the task making or idea for a Kim become a reality right now you are in that idea phase our goal over the next 15 minutes will be to provide you with the information and resources you will need before you welcome to your first campers to begin let us share a little about the camp industry currently there are more than 14,000 hams in the u.s. 8400 are residential or sleep away and 5,600 are day camps these camps are more than 14 million children and adults each year camp is an 18 billion dollar industry employing more than 1.5 million full-time and seasonal staff members with nearly 20% of those staffers coming from outside the US for many people camp as part of their family tradition however there are also many children who come from families that don't have camp in their DNA ACA has a goal of seeing that every child has a camp experience realized many benefits become gam camp helps children build self-confidence and self-esteem camp provides a safe environment where kids can make new friends try new things and build their social skills your decision to add new energy to the camp experience is exciting and we at ACA went to help you however you can for more than a hundred years ACA has offered camp professionals a variety of resources such as education and training networking public policy advocacy research and group purchasing programs to support the important work they do in the areas of camp after-school and other development programs our resources will help you find answers to critical questions you have regarding standards and good business practices legal considerations staff hiring and training program development and other issues important for a start up program let us take you through the checklist of things you will want to think about before starting your camp as you can see there is a lot more to starting a camp and just passion and a great idea starting a campus are different than starting out of business you will need to write a solid business plan that gets consideration to every aspect of your business it should be written as though you are approaching a bank or other investors for financial support a comprehensive business plan typically includes cover sheet executive summary introduction program staffing operations facilities and equipment market financial risk management and appendices your business plan should be thorough and address all aspects of the structure and growth of the first three to five years of your Pam detailing the philosophy of your camp along with the type of program to create and the culture you hope to build for your campers and staff where plan should outline your goals and the actions you will take to make your business a success provide as much detail as possible including photos graphics and charts to best illustrate your goals and the information you are presenting your business plan should be presented in a professional organized manner it should be well read and easy to follow facts and details are more important than emotions and hopes if you aren't skilled at developing this kind of document make sure to get help from someone who is you can reach out friends or even to a college business program for help substance is absolutely the most important thing but if your plan doesn't look professional visit the Small Business Administration for resources on building more business plan or you may wish to read the business of cam and de Kamp's from day one available at the ACA bookstore the bookstore is also where you'll find titles related to outdoor site and facility management as well as risk and crisis management these thorough resources contain information on setting up a new business staffing laws and regulations affecting Camery financial management health and safety food service and much much more ACA also has a number of research reports that will provide important background information and benchmarking data as you look at developing your biz visit the ACA website and investigate these resources it is extremely important to do your homework on the camp industry as well as educate yourself on any specific details that relate to operating the type of camp you envision and working with the population to serve while ACA does not review or evaluate camp business plans we highly recommend that once you've completed your business plan share it with friends family and other trusted advisors to get feedback on the viability of your new business venture you will also need to think about how you will staff your program you will need to develop job descriptions and a strategy for recruiting full-time and seasonal staff members there are a number of employment laws and regulations applicable to camps that hire domestic and international staff members you learn more by visiting the ACA website and searching human resources management you'll also want to know about the laws and regulations that apply to camps in your state the ACA website maintains the most comprehensive collection of both federal and state laws regulations updated twice a year for every state this database addresses such factors as licensing and permits wage salary and background screening requirements health and safety regulations and other tax and employment laws while many states recognize ACA accreditation as the standard of care for camps there are a number of regulations that could affect your camp as the owner or director of a camp it is your responsibility to maintain legal and regulatory compliance ACA it can help educate you what you need to know so check the website for this important information developing and maintaining the infrastructure of your program site is key to supporting a sustainable and safe operation ACA offers a site facility toolkit that addresses building maintenance and provides direction on other important regulations that pertain to the development and maintenance of various program facilities in addition there are a number of laws and regulations related to transportation ACA has a number of resources related to camp transportation including school buses passenger vans golf carts and Airlines your camps operational protocol should promote health and safety and minimize risk food safety is a key aspect that must be considered any camp serving food as part of its operation will be subject local health department screenings ACA provides information that helps promote the proper preparation serving storage and cleanup for a camp program just like any other business camps must market their services to campers and parents and potential staff members you will want to educate yourself on effective marketing resources including the development of your brand identity the functionality of your website and the most cost effective approaches to promote your business ACA offers members a variety of toolkits and templates that help you market your camp we provide additional resources that help spread the message of the value of the camp experience and definitely the importance camp renovation you might also consider reaching out to a college or university in your area for help on everything from marketing research to graphic design public relations to website development as you develop plans for the operation of your camp you will need to establish policies and guidelines that promote the environment in which risk assessment management are given the highest priority this includes such details the staff training in crisis management as you look at securing insurance coverage for your camp program you should know that most insurance companies want to do a safety audit before agreeing to insure you when talking to an insurance agent consider a number of different types of coverage including property liability workers compensation health insurance personal property vehicle liability owners certificate of insurance your ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of your program will be paramount to its continued growth and success you will need to consider the manner in which you will measure and document how your program or curriculum meets the needs of the participants and how it lives up to the goals you have outlined understanding how to implement unbiased valid systems for assessing your program will not only help document the impact your camp has on participants growth and development but it will also allow you to identify areas where you can continue to improve your program ACA offers a number of valid cost effective measurement tools that are age appropriate easy-to-implement as you look at starting your camp you want you to know you are not alone in addition to the resources and things you will find on our website there are a number of other things a CA can do to help you plan start run and grow your camp we invite you to join the American Camp Association you can join as an individual for as little as two hundred dollars your individual ACCA membership opens the doors to hundreds of training and networking resources that will guide you through this process you'll receive discounts on books education events research and evaluation tools and you receive the weekly ACA e-newsletter ACA now with all the latest industry news and information on upcoming events you will also receive a subscription to camping magazine as well as a CA s risk management publication the camp life AC a's website gives you access to information on the accreditation standards as well as numerous rewards perhaps most important for camp owners and directors ACA operates a 24-hour camp crisis hotline this anonymous service is the place where camp professionals can and just for watching this video we'd like to offer you a one-year free individual membership with ACA at the end of this video will tell you how ACA also offers memberships for camps and accredited camps our membership team can work with you to find the type of membership the best suits you now and into the future once you've joined ACA you can connect with your local office to learn more about upcoming events in your area we can even connect you with a group of similar camps ranging from independent camps to nonprofit and religiously affiliated camps plus as a member you will be connected to all of a CA s business affiliates a network more than 250 suppliers consultants offering expertise and discounts bonus buy's service ACA can help provide the individual and staff training you will need for example you might be interested in the online camp director or day camp director certain beginners these courses address the 13 core competencies needed by every director or you might like attending the in-person new director orientation course offered in a location near you this day-long training offered by expert camp professionals will cover the most critical competencies needed by a new director like yourself at the end of the day you will leave with wealth of new resources and learnings as well as the start of your own personal networking camp professionals you can even start to train your staff where they even get the camera by choosing courses for them to take from the ACA online course catalog our professional development team can even customize a training package for you as a member you receive significant discounts on these and many other virtual or in-person training opportunities and materials for you and your staff ACA is here to support your creativity passion and commitment with the education training and resources needed to turn your dream into the next exciting camp experience that positively impacts children's lives for years to come the American Camp Association building better camp experiences for camps and campers [Music]